Acquiring an Equestrian Center - Needs a new name - BELMORE EQUESTRIAN

[WeDoItAll]

Hey everybody - long time member, but have been unable to participate for awhile. But of course, I have a need so I come to my COTH family.

We have just acquired a new facility and will be moving about 20 miles to an area that is much more populated. We’re moving from a town with one stop light that can’t even keep the local bar in business to literally just outside the city limits of a small city. Not Seattle by any means - it’s in Tumwater, WA.

The equestrian center was built long before the city got as close as it is now - it was built in 1964 and was operated as a boarding facility and quite a few boarders and known as Big Chief Arena (name we will not be using). They held small rodeos, gaming and rail shows there as well. It was sold about 12 years ago or so and operated as a private training barn by a trainer with excellent German credentials, and he did training and lessons in dressage, eventing and then after a substantial accident, changed to driving. There has not been hardly any business there at all for the last 5 years. Frankly right now it does not have the best reputation for being friendly or open.

Some of the property has been sold off since originally built, but there is a still about 9 acres, the arena building which contains the arena and about 29 stalls. Some of the stalls have small paddocks off them. There is a very very old old barn structure I still haven’t been in that I’m told was used as a farrier’s building and there are “quarantine paddocks” off of that.

The indoor is about 75x200, so just large enough for a full size dressage ring. The outdoor is about 125x200. Then there is a cross country training course in the back field and some trails in the woods (but not much - maybe 3/4 of an acre of woods). The place is now surrounded by housing developments, although it is now again zoned agricultural (zoning has gone back and forth over the last 20 years).

The exterior of the arena/barn is UGLY - I mean holy smokes you’ve got to be kidding me that is an eyesore ugly. The roof over one side of the stalls is partially collapsed from a snow/ice storm and the other sections over the stalls will eventually need to be replaced. Luckily the dome type roof over the arena and some of the stalls has been maintained and is in good shape.

It has been so long since it was painted, it literally looks like the weathered plywood it is. There is more maintenance needed than you can imagine. OK have to stop thinking about that.

The arena and arena footing is in great shape. We figure about 12-14 of the stalls are useable for us now. We should take possession within the next few weeks as soon as we can get the current occupants out (they’ve been served with an unlawful detainer). There are currently about 5 horses boarded there but we have no idea who they are owned by or anything - hopefully that will become clear to us soon - we’re working on it but can’t do much until the people on the property leave.

But - we need to get a business license and insurance, and all frankly be prepared to start advertising that we will allow use of the arena for haul ins and such. In order to do that we need to have our name down.

We can’t use the road name in the name of it because it indicates a town quite a bit farther south than we are located. Don’t want to use the city or county name where it is located. No other real geographic references in the area.

To summarize: It is not fancy in any way. We are a pony club family but we have ridden western and gamed in the past - but frankly will be running it with pony club type horsemanship in mind. We do breed sporthorses - do some training - lessons - and will allow haul ins and select boarding (likely self care only to start). There is very limited turn out but there is a reasonably nice indoor arena (slightly larger than a full size dressage ring), an outdoor arena, and a small XC course just for training purposes. We expect to have clinics, small schooling shows and playdays and will make it available for rental to pony clubs, high school equestrian teams, and drill teams, as well as individual haul ins on a scheduled basis.

At this point we believe we want to use the “equestrian center” moniker. It is more comprehensive than the other options. We want some thing in the front that is unusual and clever without being sappy. Nothing using the term “hunter” as we are definitely not in that world.

So help us out! Oh my last name is Riker - my 20 year old daughter will actually be running it as her own (I have a travel agency I am much too busy running). She’s young for this but it is her dream and she’s been working in the industry for 3 years full time and part time before that. Quite a bit of colt training, finishing, lessons and some barn management behind her – so she’ll do well, and she has me for back up. We just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Thanks to everyone here - we have a new name - BELMORE EQUESTRIAN!

[GrayCatFarm]

Cascade Equestrian Center
Deschutes River Equestrian Center

Brass Ring Equestrian Center
Carousel Equestrian Center

[rizzodm]

Why not Riker equestrian center?

[SharonA]

Okay. I am just going to put this out as one grouchy opinion, which you may feel free to ignore. I HATE the moniker “equestrian center” unless the facility really is a major center for all things equestrian – large rings, boarding, shows, routine vet/chiro/massage visits, multiple disciplines, clinics, trails, several layers of professional staff, and good turnout. If a facility does not have all those things, and still calls itself a center, I have always found myself wondering if the facility has delusions of grandeur, and then I wonder what else is going to be a delusion for me or for my horse.

I am jealous as hell of your having a farm, and I am excited and happy for you and can’t wait to hear what a success I know you will make of it, but, I would call it a farm. Again, just one boarder’s opinion.

[WeDoItAll]

Good comments - but the reason for equestrian center is this:
will offer boarding, training, small shows and sales as well as haul ins and very likely distributing some type equine products (a particular type of bedding that is not available in this area and potentially a horse feed that is not available in this area).

Stables - although incorporates the type of boarding we are doing, doesn’t really incorporate the arena, training or breeding, or horse products.

Farm - for me designates more of a growing kind of thing - and generally not open to the public. I have a farm here, which won’t be going to the new place.

Arena - was a serious consideration but the same concerns as stables.

Barn - although we regularly refer to everything out here as “going to the barn” it is not generally incorporated into the formal name.

Ranch - makes me thing of great big wide open spaces AND more of a western influence than what we want to impart.

Staying away from specific discipline names because we do expect to have diversity.

I will say the name that my daughter has 2 names she likes - one is funny:
Selbats Stables (because we are going about this kind of backwards)
and
Alcazar Equestrian Center (no particular reason other than she likes the name and knows that it’s a type of Castle in Spain and Portugal)

We’ve considered Phoenix Rising because that really does describe the property but there seem to be a large number of those out there across the country.

[HealingHeart]

Gentle Stream Farm

I do like Phoenix Rising, kinda honors the old name too… Chief is a powerful name

[BEARCAT]

Riker Equestrian Center has a good ring to it.

[asterix]

Make sure you check domain names before you pick a name. You will save yourself a lot of marketing headache if your website and email can be yourbarnname.com rather than anything more convoluted or complicated.

[tpup]

Hmmm…how about taking out “center”? Just Riker Equestrian? I hate the word “center”. It conjures up a picture of “too big”, impersonal and assembly line (a.e. too many horses). Just a personal thing. I think you should really think long and hard about its past reputation, and how to cushion that, even in just the name. I like a positive, soothing word (like Cascades, Stream, Mountain) or something that and since you are near a town, something that helps preserve the nature you still have and maintain there. Green Forest Equestrian, Horizon, Forest Green Equestrian. Since the world is “online” now, really think about the theme or reputation you want to convey because it will be EVERYWHERE…internet, ads, signs, people’s Iphones, shows, clinics. I don’t know that I’d want Riker or my last name. Also think about logos (if you use a word like forest, etc. you have an avatar/pic you can work with for ads, logo, business card).

Looks like there are falls, streams in Tumwater. How about something like “Great Falls Equestrian”, Brookside Equestrian…I think those sound better than “Clinic this weekend at Riker”…I like your last name but it’s a sharper tone if that makes sense.

Type a huge list and then narrow it down. Picture it EVERYWHERE and then pick. Good luck and congratulations!!

[todaysspecial]

Voting for Selbats Stables, love it. Has definite character.

[Flash44]

Moneypit Manor

[clanter]

I usually look for an name that is easy to remember that is easy to use in advertising so

New Market is the original name of Tumwater, WA and Newmarket Suffolk England is known as a horse center I would be inclined to use New Market somewhere in the name just to establish a historic link and add age to the project

New Market Sport Horse Center is a little long but would officially state just what you are doing.

Another historical link would be Genesis as Tumwater, WA is known as the end of the Oregon Trail or Cowlitz Trail, it was a new beginning for many

[GypsyQ]

New Horizons Equestrian Center.

Especially considering the breeding, colt starting, and Pony Club type endeavors you seem to want.

[Calvincrowe]

There is already a Brass Ring Farm in WA (well known HJ trainer). Realize that Everyone will shorten the long eq center name you choose, so the first couple of words are what will matter. There is a Mountain View farm to your south. I like Riker, or something historical for your area. I don’t care for farm in a boarding barn or trainer business name.

Why not Cascade eq center or South Sound eq center?

[clanter]

… well knowing horses nature and the region … Volcanic might be good to use as you never know when one is going to explode

[pluvinel]

I know that you’re on the left coast, so pls be aware that Riker’s Island is a prison outside NYC…my suggestion is to use a name that honors some local history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rikers_Island

[Sparrowette]

Funny how brains work… Newmarket made me think of Black Beauty, which made me think of the horse fair, which made me look up this at WhoIs, and the-horse-fair.com is available. If you are breeding, then you will be doing a little selling, but more than that, I’ve always picture a Horse Faire as a place where a lot of horse things were happening. So - “The Horse Fair Riding Center”?

Edit: Also has the added benefit of highlighting to young/new riders that we need to be Fair to horses.

[Equibrit]

All Things Equine.
(nice monogram ?)

[WeDoItAll]

All great ideas - I will say that we had literally JUST came to the same thought late last night as tpup did - it will likely just be _____ Equestrian. The center just makes it too long AND a little too “much” for what we are.

Riker’s Island had come up and made us roll with laughter. We were familiar with the NY connotation (and not only because of Law and Order) but because our family used to own that part of NY and sold it off (along with what is now Manhattan). But also because remember I own a travel agency so Island kind of had a travel type feel … and now my daughter will essentially be tied to this property completely and will be her little island. However, the prison connotation is not something we want to project.

Although I would like to use the term New Market or Newmarket, when the town started using it again, it was what they named the “alternative high school” where frankly problem children go to try and complete high school instead of dropping out. I’m afraid that might get transferred to us and don’t want that.

Here’s what we have on our short list so far:
Selbats Stables (Selbats Equestrian Center? doesn’t seem to have the same type of ring)
Deschutes Equestrian (Center?)
Genesis Equestrian (Center?) - slightly concerned about whether this has a religious connotation in it that we would want to avoid
New Horizons Equestrian
Belmore Equestrian (historically this is roughly in the geographic area known as Belmore - but that is not widely known)
Phoenix Eq Center (would have to be abbreviated because of other businesses in the country)
Rising Phoenix Equestrian
Fair Horse Center (does this connotate county fair/4H?)
Puget Sound Equestrian

[Wellspotted]

I, too, like Riker Equestrian. Businesslike, brief and simple.

I don’t like Alcazar, it sounds like you’re doing Arabians (I love Arabians, but it doesn’t sound like you’re doing them exclusively) – the Alcazar I think you’re talking about in Spain was Moorish – Muslim (nothing against that either but might not go over well) … I don’t like Selbats either, it sounds like you’re trying to do a bat-friendly place with cupolas/towers to attract and help bats.

I also love Cascade Equestrian (seconding a previous poster’s suggestion) – besides, my all-time favorite series of girls’ horse books features a pony named Cascade!

I also suggest Evergreen Equestrian (if there aren’t a bunch of them already near you!) (Also the double meaning of the barn’s age and its new life – it’s still going)